


Dark Butterflies

by Quasarflower



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adding here slowly, Albanian Forest with Voldemort and Nagini, Be patient, Mission to abduct Bertha Jorkins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-02 12:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17264234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quasarflower/pseuds/Quasarflower
Summary: An avid Harry Potter Fan ends up in the Albanian Forest.(Time: Around the 3rd-4th Book)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> I have been reading fanfictions for a while now and decided it's time to give it a try for myself :)
> 
> What you are about to read now are the first chapters I ever wrote, so please keep that in mind.  
> I also really hope my writing style isn't too bad or frustrating, I'm going to try and experiment a bit with it!
> 
> I'll try to watch out for errors as much as I can, I don't have a proofreader and English isn't my first language (but I love it!) 
> 
>  
> 
> For now, the pace of the fic will be rather quick I think.
> 
>  
> 
> Well then, have fun reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe or anything from it.

_Hard. That is the only fitting description for whatever the fuck I’m lying on. My Bed isn’t that hard, is it? Why is it so cold and-IS THERE SOMETHING CRAWLING OVER MY HAND?_

Shrieking loudly, Melissa sat up and slapped away a spider from her left hand. As she looked around, she noticed that she wasn’t in her bed anymore. She wasn’t even in her bedroom, or apartment at all. No, she has been sleeping in a forest, surrounded by large dark trees and small insects all over the ground.

Disgusted she stood up from the hard ground, patting down her clothes. She was still dressed in her pyjamas, a combination of short pants and a loose fitting shirt. “Damn it’s cold”, Melissa swore, rubbing down her arms, “Wait - How the fuck did I end up here? MUM? MARC?”. She started calling out for her family, despite having a feeling that no one would be near enough to hear her.

Now slightly panicking she started pacing on the spot she had woken up. “Okay. OKAY. Calm down, Melissa. Everything is fine. No need to worry, at all! All - Is - Neato. You just somehow ended up in a forest that looks nothing like the forest close to your home. That means it isn’t the forest close to your home. So, in conclusion, you’re not anywhere near your home at all. I mean, that happens. Who doesn't know that? Yeah.”

Trying to force down tears of despair, Melissa began walking in a random direction, convinced that at some point there had to be some water or something that might lead to civilization. 

.

.

.

“F-F-Fu-Fuck” Melissa shuddered. She spread and moved her fingers, trying to feel anything at all. After walking for over an hour, her feet and hands had become completely numb. Rubbing them had not been helping her at all, despite having tried desperately for 30 minutes. She knew that if she didn’t find anything to heat herself up she’d probably freeze to death, which didn't sound that good in her opinion. 

“G-Got-Gotta m-make a f-f-fire or s-something.” - Little clouds of her breath became visible in the cold air. Melissa gathered everything she would need for a small fire, at least after what she had seen in movies. _Can’t be that hard, can it?_ the girl thought and tried to spin a stick between her hands on top of another stick. But to no avail; “D-Damn t-this isn’t w-w-working” she whispered after a short while, her forehead deeply wrinkled with concentration. She looked around for something to use as a lens, like glass shards, but then spotted some small rocks and realized that that could be another option to start a fire. 

Quickly she snatched the rocks and slammed then against each other, hoping it would create some kind of spark to light up the pile of dried leaves she had stacked up. Then, after some fruitless tries, the little pile suddenly caught fire, startling Melissa. She hadn’t seen any sparks to cause the fire but forgot about it after she felt the warmth of the fire meeting her face. Not wasting any time, the girl hastily stacked small sticks and bigger tree branches on top of it. It was going to be a long night and she was determined to create a longer lasting heat source. 

Proud of her success, she happily sat down next to the fire and looked around to scan her current location. The girl had set up her little ‘camp’ between the big roots of a nearly hollow tree, thus shielding her from most of the icy wind and possible rain. It had become somewhat darker, she noticed that her eyes couldn’t see as far anymore. The outlines of trees were getting more blurred in the distance, and harder for her to differentiate. Soon it would be a big dark blob of trees, Melissa thought to herself.

A loud rumble disturbed the silence. “God damn,” she mumbled, patting her empty stomach, “ I should’ve eaten something before bed.” Breaking down everything she knew about survival shows she had seen on TV, she tried to think of something food-related. Melissa knew about snares and that fishing was supposed to be a good option to get food, but that was about where her knowledge ended. The girl had never actually sat down and read how to build a snare, and neither did she know how to fish. Even if she did, there were no signs of wildlife at all around her, also she hadn’t seen any deep water along her entire walk. 

“Oh well… I guess I'll try to find something tomorrow..”. Ignoring her stomach, she piled some more leaves and moss together and formed some sort of sleeping-mat between the roots of her tree. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to get much sleep, but the walk and the cold had exhausted her as well as the fact of being ripped out of her last nap. Refreshing her energy couldn't hurt in her situation.

After closing her eyes, bad thoughts overran her mind. Pictures of her own soft and warm bed and her home popped up in her head, filling her deeply with the wish of being able to go there. She thought of her family, not surprisingly being filled with a more void feeling. She kind of missed her cute little five-year-old brother and even her other, more annoying brother, but the rest of them didn’t mean that much to her. 

Melissa guessed that with as many siblings as she had, it wasn’t really shocking. Her room not even being her own room and her clothes mostly the old, worn ones of older siblings. Never had she spent a lot of time with them, closing herself off most of the times. She felt of her home no more than it was: A place to live, eat and sleep. Feeling **at** home meant something different to her, it was a warm and calm sensation, which she only experienced at places like her best friends home or maybe her favourite cafe when it was almost empty. Her best friend.. Melissa thought of Nico with grief. After nearly two months of not seeing him, she truly missed him.. Him and her other good friends Jannis, Meike and Michelle. They all knew each other since they were 8 years old and had been close friends for almost over 9 years now. Normally they had seen each other every next day, but Melissa hadn’t had time for a while now. They were supposed to meet tomorrow..

Trying to shoo away her negative thoughts, Melissa closed her eyes harder. She knew she had to get some sleep and started humming one of her favourite tunes. The fatigue, finally overcoming her now, let her fall into a restless slumber..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Melissa, what will she do?
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


	2. Chapter Two

Melissa woke up with an uneasy feeling.

Leaving her eyes closed, she didn’t move an inch and tried to determine what exactly it was that had dared to wake her up and soon she realized: **There was someone here with her.** _Fuck_  was her first thought. Shortly after that full-blown panic began to settle in her. Deliberating about what she should do, she came to realize another thing: She **needed** help. She was stuck in an otherwise empty forest, it was cold and she had no food or water. A dude that wanders a forest that early might be crazy, she thought, but as dangerous as strangers can be, they're her best hope in a situation like this. So she gathered all the courage she got and slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed, her fire was still burning. To be precise, it was burning exactly the same way it had been burning the night before, freshly started and big. Not one leaf was burned up and not one stick had turned to ash. It was as if she had just set up camp. _Okay, that’s definitely weird. Like, super weird wtf._ Ignoring the seemingly immortal fire, for now, she carefully sat up and looked around. The chilly wind from the night before had gone, leaving an odd temperature behind. Not really cold, but not warm either. She stretched her limbs, stiff from the hard ground and checked her environment further, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. _What has woken me up??_ Now questioning her sanity, she attempted to stand up, just to shriek and fall back down on her bottom.

“A-a snake..”, she gulped and crawled further back between the roots of her spot, “A m-motherfucking big s-snake..”. She was eye to eye with the enormous animal, which had hidden in some taller grass like a fricking Pokemon.

“Oookay.. Not moving to fast over here.. I’m no enemy.. I love snakes.. You know? Big Fan..”. The snake looked up at her with a weird expression, somehow it looked like it was tilting its head. “Yes-Yes, no I-I´m not kidding. You, uhm, you just startled me - yeah. I, uhm, didn’t expect visitors, that’s all.. We’re cool r-right?” she whispered, trying to reason with the animal as it slithered towards her, watching her curiously.

“Ohh boy..please no..”, Melissa breathed as the snake got even closer, now nearly at height with her face. Trying to scoot back further, Melissa hit the tree with her back. Now there was no escape without startling the animal, and she would prefer not being killed by a giant reptile. So she waited, as the snake got closer and examined her face. After what felt like an eternity to tensed-up Melissa, the snake distanced itself a bit. It straightened itself up and opened its mouth to then slowly whisper: ‘Hello Sssstranger..’

-

Dumbfounded, Melissa gaped at the snake. Did-Did it just.. **speak** to her? Was she in reality dehydrating and now hallucinating?

Slowly, very slowly, Melissa raised her arm and pinched herself, with the result of a pain-scrunched face and a soft cry. No, she was wide awake. And now her arm was hurting..

Looking sort of amused the snake hissed: ‘Do not hurt yourssself human.. I mean no harm.. My massster will be very interested in you.. You shall follow me human..’. Now suddenly looking hurried with its newfound mission, the snake began to slither away while looking back expectantly at Melissa. “Umm.. your Master? Does he live here somewhere?”. Trying to ignore that she was just casually talking with a snake, Melissa gawked around, trying to spot a house or something human-build to confirm what the snake said. ‘Yesss.. But he iss hidden.. I shall show you, ssstranger.. Follow me now..He will want to see for himself..’. Not even waiting for her answer, the serpent doubled its speed, leaving Melissa with no choice but to sprint after it.

.

.

.

“Are we there yet?” Melissa panted nearly 25 Minutes later. She’d never have thought that a snake this big could move that quickly, giving her the need to jog the entire way. ‘Yesss human.. He isss not far now..’. You could hear the excitement in the snake's whisper, it moved even faster, wiggling itself between roots and bushes with unfathomable speed. Melissa tried to run but could barely keep up, with her lack of nutrition she was even more exhausted than the evening before. The wind was back and had been biting her thinly clothed body along the way, leaving her limbs numb. She wished she had stayed by her fire.. Her bare feet had already hurt because of the long walk yesterday and now they were even rawer and scratched from the little rocks and sticks across the forest floor. Dirt clung to them, as well as some dried blood that had dripped from small wounds. _Too bad humans don't go to bed with shoes._ she thought grimly.

A short moment later Melissa realized that she had lost the snake from her sight. “Fuck fuck fuck..Where did it go?” she whispered completely out of breath and frantically looked around, searching for the serpent. Surely such a big animal couldn’t just disappear, could it? A cold feeling ran over her. Alone she would never find her way back to her fire and wind shielded spot.. What if that master of her wasn’t even real and she had been led to a trap? Then she would have been ripped off by a snake! Or could get killed by one.. _It’s your own fault,_ she cursed herself as she panicked, _who follows a talking snake??_

She rubbed her hands together in an attempt of warming herself, as she suddenly heard another voice in the distance..

.

.

.

**_“Nagini.. Whom have you dared to bring to me..”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know who that is, don't we? ;)  
> Will Melissa realize? 
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower
> 
>  


	3. Chapter Three

**_"Nagini.. Whom have you dared to bring to me..”_ **

The voice chilled Melissa down to her spine. It was a cold and harsh tone..spoken from a hoarse throat. It sounded merciless, even cruel as it spoke and had a patronizing sound to it. Instantly Melissa felt herself a lesser being.. Not worthy of being in the company of the voice's owner. It made her want to turn around and never come back, to just stuff her ears and never have to hear it again…The worst part of it was - _it sounded familiar to her_

-

 _Na-Nagini? ,_ she rapidly thought to herself, _bu_ _t that can’t be- that would mean- no- never- it just can’t-_

A thousand thoughts at once hit her, making her head spin incredibly fast. How did she end up in a random forest after only going to bed? Melissa thought about multiple possibilities, her mind racing. For once, she was no sleepwalker and even if - someone would have seen her, if not her family then her neighbours.. No one would be able to pull a prank like this, dragging and leaving her in the middle of a possibly dangerous forest while she was asleep, leaving her with nothing to survive and a big talking snake. It just wasn't possible. In Addition to that not being possible..this was way too realistic for a dream, she felt the sharp cold hurting her skin and the hunger paining her stomach, her feet were sore and her hands numb. No, Melissa knew this had to be something else.

But..Could- Could this be magic? She knew the Harry Potter series by heart, she loved the franchise, but no one and especially not Melissa could just end up in its universe could they? Was this.. Was this maybe just a weird guy with a snake named after the one in the series? But how would it explain the talking.. Or her seemingly immortal fire.. Now that she thought about it, as soon as she had lit the fire the wind had stopped hadn't it... And didn’t the fire kind of start itself? If- let’s just say if - this was the Harry Potter Universe and she was here in a forest, with Nagini and possibly Lord Voldemort.. She was fucked, wasn’t she? Melissa couldn’t see one way this could end well for her. Fan or not he’d probably kill her and then use her body to get power or something similar to that.. Great.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds in her head, her perception of time totally messed up and her mind running like crazy. The Voice hadn’t spoken again, awaiting Naginis answer.

_“Massster.. I return with a gift for you..A young girl.. With magical Blood…I sssaw her make fire with magic..She understands usss as we sspeak right now..”_   Silence followed. Melissa could feel her heart beating in her chest, her frantic breath nearly matching her pulse. Twitching from left to right her eyes scanned her nearest surroundings, checking for anything she might be able to use as a weapon if necessary, as well trying to spot the snake and her master.

Out of nowhere a tree right in front of her began to creak. As she inspected it further, she saw a line cracking down the bark of it, ripping the tree open. Startled Melissa took a step back and froze to the ground as she watched the bark curl outwards, pulling itself open like some sort of curtain. Inside the tree a gruesome picture awaited her.

Trying not to gag, she gulped hard. Not bigger than the body of a child, he was curled together, wrapped in dark clothes.. His skin was a sickly pale white, nearly translucent.. She could see veins shimmering through it, could see the dark rings in his sunken-in and slit-nosed face, with skin so thin and cheeks so hollow the bones underneath became perfectly sketched out. He looked barely alive, reminding her of pictures of children that had starved to death (her brother thought it funny that one time she didn’t eat up her plate)..She didn’t want to look anymore, she wanted to turn away and run... But his eyes... Bloodshot - and a flaming, blazing red colour - she could feel them nearly burning through her skull as he observed her with a piercing glare. She was like hypnotized, caught by their sheer intensity, unable to take her eyes off him, if even for one second. A movement from him caught her attention, one of his sickly thin hands weakly pointed at her, his wand barely in its clutch.

Melissa took a deep breath, not knowing what to say or do. She knew this much, he was sick. He looked weak and undernourished, his body barely clinging to life. She knew that he had been weakened and mostly been corporal by possessing animals, at least before Quirrell came along. Then he was surviving through the power of unicorn blood that his servant drank for him.. By the looks, Quirrel was long dead and Voldemort was somehow able to create himself a vessel, even if it was a weak one. He fled back to Albania, all hopes nearly ruined.. That would mean that Pettigrew either already is or will be on his way shortly, ready to help his old master back to power..

She didn’t know what he was thinking, wasn’t sure if she even wanted to know. But he continued to stare at her as if trying to read her. From her point of view, she didn't think she was a threat to him. A weak and scared girl, no clue how to use magic, not even possessing a wand or even warm clothes.. Freezing she waited there for his judgement, still in her night clothes and hungry. He probably came to the same conclusion as her, because after what felt like an eternity he spoke again, with that bone-chilling voice: “Come closer..”

Melissa knew she had no choice if she resisted she would die. So she released herself from her frozen position, forcing her muscles to move and took a step closer to him, all while feeling like being in trance. He raised his wand hand at her and she closed her eyes. This was it. This was how she would die, killed by one of her favourite characters in an Albanian forest.

.  
.  
.

But she didn’t die. In fact, she was further away from dying than a moment before. Voldemort had used his wand to.. create heat? Suddenly she felt toasty warm in her sparse clothes as if she had just stepped into a steaming hot shower. It spread to her limbs and fingertips, filling her entire body with a cosy feeling and drowning out the numbness from the cold beforehand. Her feet felt as good as new and her stomach got a feeling of temporary fullness. What was this? “This should suffice.” he murmured and she opened her eyes to watch him stuffing his wand away. Not comprehending, she only stared at him. His eyes went back to her, slightly narrowing. _“I admit, I had hoped for better Nagini.. But so be it, I am able to work with this.._ Do close your mouth silly child..”. She hadn’t noticed, but he was right. Quickly her mouth snapped shut and she felt heat rising in her face.

“Now..” he paused, phrasing his next words very carefully not to spook the girl, but he was confident of his well-trained ability with words. A girl like her should be easy to manipulate. “My helping you is out of pure generosity.. I have experienced your.. current situation.. myself, only quite a bit more severe.. I mean no harm.” He lied without even having to think about it, he knew it was a lot easier if she just helped him out of her own will. If not.. Well, he had a plan B.. And so he waited for her answer, seeing the wheels turning in her head.

-

What was he trying to say? That he had helped her out of ‘generosity’? And.. Is he trying to convince her that he was like that because he simply **got lost more ‘severe’** than her? Melissa was nearly insulted, did he really think she was that stupid? No ordinary human being could ever look like this and be alive. _Well maybe I can benefit from it_ , she thought, _Stupid people are super simple to convince and control, if you have even the faintest sense of how human beings work.._ (She had to think of the time she convinced her older sister to steal sweets from a store because otherwise, they wouldn’t get anything for Christmas. She was three years younger than her and still.) _S_ _o maybe I can just play innocent for a little while and he’ll think he’s able to use me for his plans.. Thus eliminating the need to kill or curse me for now..Whiiiiich gives me a chance to survive a bit longer..Which is neat.. Also, it would be super cool to be Lord Voldemort’s helper wouldn’t it be? He is after all THAT frickin' powerful after getting his body back.._

Her decision was easy now, just how to act upon it was the hard part.

Finally taking a shuddering breath she stuttered out: “U-Um th-th-thank you for your generosity..?”. He looked at her with an incomprehensible stare. _Damn,_ she panicked,  _I’m not supposed to be scared of him! I don’t know him alright? I’m blowing this!_ “Um I mean.. Thank you for your help! I’m - uh- Can I help you somehow..?” she asked, trying her best to look sympathetic towards him. His eyes glistened with triumph for a short moment. He didn’t notice, but she saw it and promptly felt a bit more at ease, now that her scheme would probably work.

Voldemort tried to look a bit more pitiful now, while inwardly revulsing at it. “There is something I need.. Something I would need **you** to obtain..Then..Maybe I could get better..” he whispered, barely containing his desperation, “Not far from here lays a small town.. Nagini will show you the way..” After this he paused again, thinking about how to phrase his request without letting her know his intentions. She already had a pretty good idea of what he would need, the only thing that is left for the completion of the circle. Bertha Jorkins.

-

Of course, he wasn't able to know her name yet, right now he only needed a wizard, any wizard with enough knowledge about the current stand of the wizarding world, so that he could try and plan accordingly. That Pettigrew would bring her to him was pure luck. But she was essential for the timeline to be able to take its rightful turn. Melissa asked herself how he knew that she didn’t know anything about current events, but then again, by the looks of her, she probably looked like she didn’t even know her own name. She tried to look oblivious by saying: “Should I go and search after an adult for help??” Presenting the idea herself, she made it easy for him to just agree with her.

And so he did, slowly nodding he said: “Yes.. A very good idea. You will have to be certain that it is a wizard.. That is going to be essential, for- Otherwise he could not help me.” Pretending not to notice his slip-up Melissa nodded enthusiastically. Determined to do her job well without questioning it, she'll be earning his trust early on. She just hoped that Barty Crouch Sr. had already meddled with Bertha Jorkins memory, making her forget about his son by using a powerful Charm. Soon after that, she would end up taking a vacation in Albania and go missing, leaving everyone in the belief that she had simply lost track of time.. If not, Melissa would have to wait until that happened and Bertha came, which would probably leave Voldemort angered..

“Well then..” he looked into her eyes again, determined to see if she was serious, _“Nagini.. Show her the town..”_

 _’Yesss master..’_ the snake complied eagerly, making its way to a certain direction. Melissa spared one last look to Voldemort but he was already beginning to bring the tree back to its original shape, closing it around him with magic. She shrugged to herself and went after Nagini.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well, Melissa was more than ready to comply don't you think? What would you have done in her situation?
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


	4. Chapter Four

_Well doesn’t this place look full of life?_

 

Hiding behind a tree, Melissa observed the town. Only a few houses and even fewer shops were speckled left and right, a bumpy cobblestone street in between them. _Looks like home.._ A bittersweet feeling made itself aware inside her. She tried her best to ignore it and searched for anything that could be a sign of magical folk living here. Her eyes wandered around and got caught on a big building to the right side of the road. Tall and dark it stood there, its facade worn down with the harsh weather conditions over the years. A little sign in one of the dirty windows told her that it was an Inn and a cheap one at that. _Exactly the place a chaotic person like Bertha Jorkins could be staying in,_ she thought to herself. She remembered reading that Pettigrew had met the woman at an Inn and she could feel the pace of her heartbeat rising rapidly. But how would she get inside?

She started chewing on her fingernails, a habit she thought she had gotten rid of a long time ago. The only way she could get to Bertha - if she even was in there - was to either break in or try to casually walk inside and ask for her. Looking down on her clothes, Melissa knew that the second option would raise too many questions. “ _Breaking new: A girl in pyjamas turns up in the forest and tries to rent a room at local Inn“_ _would probably be an interesting headline,_ she thought to herself, while suppressing a giggle, _but getting attention to myself probably isn’t the best way to handle this situation…_ She wracked her head for ideas on she could break into a possibly magical Inn without anyone seeing her. _If only I had some less suspicious clothes.._ Melissa nestled with her thin shirt and tried to straighten the dirty, wrinkled mess down, as it suddenly became thicker in her hands.

Confused she inspected it further, to then observe the fibres of the shirt expanding and knotting themselves tighter together, creating a now heavier fabric. The shirt slowly transformed itself into a casual sweater of the same colour, the filth from the forest removing itself from it. Melissa could only gape as the fabric of her short sleeve grew out to now hug her entire arm and cover part of her hands. The same thing then happened to her pants, the thin material stretching out and climbing down her legs, while at the same time transforming into a more rough fabric, not unlike jeans. At loss for words, Melissa stood there in her now new clothes, that were casual enough to look inconspicuous and left her properly dressed for the mission.

_Was that.. my magic?? Am I a witch?!_

The idea came to her mind before she could stop it, destroying and overtaking all her other thoughts. She couldn’t even begin to fathom it, even with everything else that had happened.. Melissa didn’t want to believe it. It just couldn’t be right, it didn’t make sense for her - a non-magical and normal human being (and a boring, ordinary at that) - to just develop magical talents. It was beyond everything that was within in the realms of possibility, beyond everything that she believed to be true and beyond her wildest dreams. How often had she thought about magic and its potential? Dreaming about what she could do with it, how to use it for her own purpose.. It kept her up too many nights, occupied her mind all too often at school. Having read the series and seen the movies multiple times, she had often entered some sort of phase where she couldn’t think of anything else but the unique wizarding world. Now she suddenly was a part of it? Was supposed to help Lord Voldemort himself and have her own magical abilities? Melissa shook her head, this was just too much for her. _I have to focus on my mission and staying alive, I don’t have time for anything else,_ she tried to convince herself. _I just have to walk in there.. say hi.. ask for Bertha, then get Bertha to come with me.. and go back.. Easy peasy. Yeah._

She wished that Nagini had stayed with her, but as soon as she was able to see the first buildings, the big snake had returned to its master, leaving her alone and sort of helpless, with no means to find the way back. Melissa had just hoped that they would know if she was successful so that Voldemort could send Nagini to fetch the girl and her victim. Shaking her head again, Melissa tried to clear her mind. Eventually, she would have to go in there, there was no point in drawing out what was inevitable. Taking a deep breath, she took a step out of the tree line...Towards her target.

.

.

.

The warmth of the Inn flushed her face, the spell that Voldemort had used earlier now nearly worn out. Closing the door behind her, Melissa tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. After quickly looking around, she noticed that the small room was nearly empty. Only an old man sat at one of the few tables, half asleep while reading a newspaper. As Melissa peeked a bit closer she noticed that the pictures were moving, they winked and waved towards her. Taken aback, Melissa quickly looked away. She still was a bit on edge with this whole magic-exists-here thing. 

The entrance room she currently stood in seemed to serve as an eating area as well, she spotted some old leftovers at nearby tables. Ignoring her reemerging hunger, Melissa took a step closer to the vacant counter. Behind it, she spotted a thick layer of dust and grime, the owner clearly not to keen on housekeeping. She inspected it (all while making sure the old man in the corner didn’t watch her) and saw that there was a small shelf with sets of keys on them. They all looked like they weren’t used in a long time, spider webs covering the small area designated to each pair. Except - there! A single room key caught her attention, looking like it has been used recently. _Probably the spare key for an occupied room_ she thought excitedly. But, that meant all the other rooms had to be empty and if that old man was a guest here... ** _That means she isn’t here yet._**

The realization hit Melissa like a train, making her stomach turn around. She sat down at a table, trying to digest the fact that she couldn’t complete what Voldemort had asked her to. She needed Bertha Jorkins, no one else could provide him with the information that would bring the story to its rightful tracks.. And Melissa knew that Bertha could take weeks or months to get here, but she didn’t have that much time. Voldemort would want his request fulfilled immediately, otherwise, he would probably send Nagini to check on her and then she’d have to explain why she didn’t just bring one of the other residents.. Melissa considered the option of telling Voldemort what he needed to know herself, but it would destroy the illusion of her being oblivious to everything. No, Bertha was a key element and also Melissa didn’t want her advantage to be discovered yet, so she had to find another way..

Submerged in her thoughts, Melissa didn’t notice the door opening again, until the cold air snaked to her still bare feet, creeping up her trousers and caused her to shudder. She turned around to face the stranger and was greeted with the slightly plump face of a middle-aged woman.

.

.

.

“Of course silly me would forget my winter attire.. I could’ve sworn I had packed those mittens..” Bertha murmured to herself while rummaging through her handbag. Completely oblivious to Melissa staring at her, the woman stopped digging around and dragged her luggage to the counter. She then pulled something from her sleeve and lifted the object into the air, waving it around a few times. After further inspection from Melissa, she realized that it had to be her wand and that Bertha was probably using it to call the owner of the Inn. Then, confirming her assumption, she heard a loud crack:

“Yes?” suddenly came from behind the counter. A small woman had appeared at the back of it. White hair surrounded her wrinkly face and her hunched posture spoke of an unhealthy lifestyle with way too much work. _This Inn probably had seen better times_ , Melissa quietly thought to herself. You could tell from the owners facial expression, that she wasn't too happy about the sight of guests. Bertha, who already had begun to rummage through her bag again, looked up; “Hello! I - Uh - have a reservation, I just have to find those papers again..Don’t worry, I know they’re in there!” 

The owner did not look too convinced by that and with a slightly shaking hand she pulled out her own wand, mumbling: “Accio reservation papers.” Said papers then wrenched themselves out of the luggage that was still waiting on the ground. Wrinkled and crunched up, they flew right into to the old woman's grasp. “..oh, there they are..I could’ve sworn..” Bertha flushed. Not even acknowledging the other woman, the owner turned around and fumbled for the right key. Unceremoniously it got handed over, along with a schedule for breakfast and dinner. Trying to be polite Bertha said: “Thank you very-”, but she wasn’t even able to finish her sentence - The owner had already disappeared again, clearly not wanting to spend any more time than necessary with visitors.

“Alright.. Room 1.8… Should be easy enough to find…” the woman muttered to herself, already completely absorbed in her thoughts again. Melissa just sat there, still staring at Bertha and rooted to her seat.. She observed the woman hauling her baggage to the hallway on the left side of the counter, checking every door for her number and then finally disappearing into the last room on the left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There she is, clumsy Bertha. Now our Melissa just has to convince her to come with her..
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


	5. Chapter Five

One by one Melissa loosened her fingers from their vice grip on the edge of the table, slowly waking up her petrified body. She threw another glance at Bertha’s room, but the door remained closed. She was alone again, not counting the now sound asleep older man across from her.

 _Well, that was something.._ she thought while leaning back in her chair. _So,_ _that’s_ _Bertha Jorkins.. Hmm, kind of weird no one noticed that something is wrong with her._ Melissa thought it obvious that the woman was a bit too confused for a normal person and she had only seen her for a few minutes. _Ok, but I knew about the Memory Charm, so probably that interferes with my perception of her.. Cheating feels nice!_

Repressing a chuckle, Melissa stood up. She wasn’t too sure what she should do now, she knew she had to wait for Bertha to leave her room and go outside. Only then Melissa could ask her for help while appearing innocent by pretending that the woman was the first stranger she could find - thus avoiding the question of why the girl hadn’t gone to literally anyone else..

 _Waiting is always fun!_ Grimly Melissa left the warmth of the room and stepped into the bleak town. Nothing had changed in the time she had waited in the Inn, the street was still vacant and the buildings were still looking like no one lived in them.. Melissa wandered back to the forest, it gave her a sort of safe feeling now. She stopped shortly after the tree line so that the entrance to the Inn still was visible enough for her to watch. Sitting down, Melissa was grateful for her now sturdier attire - the cold ground not bothering her as much anymore.

A few moments later a familiar rumble disturbed her observing, signalling that her stomach was now feeling completely empty again. She licked her dry lips, ignoring the gnawing feeling of hunger and thirst. Food wasn’t something that seemed important to her right now.. Melissa knew that as soon as Bertha was delivered to Voldemort, they'd probably both get killed by him. Maybe she was lucky, the slight chance that he deemed Melissa useful and even presented her with the permission to leave with him, still existed. Personally, she really hoped for the latter of both possibilities, but didn’t like her odds. Voldemort could be unpredictable, even if he could use the help of someone like her.. Either way, starving wasn’t something to be concerned about, since both of the options promised an end to it.

.

.

.

After what felt like ages, the door of the Inn finally opened again, making Melissa snap up her head. The girl had been napping against a tree, the constant waiting tiring her out. She immediately noticed that the sun now stood low in the sky, it was nearly dusk. Quickly Melissa stretched her stiff limbs, craning her neck to see who’d step out of the building - It was her!

Bertha Jorkins casually stepped outside, now with a scarf wrapped around her neck and some cosy looking mittens covering her hands. Without hesitation, Bertha wandered towards the forest. As she got closer, Melissa spotted a colourful, folded paper in her hands. _Probably a map.. Why would she need a map of this exact forest?_

Raising her eyebrows, she continued to observe Bertha. Said woman lit her wand and walked straight into the dark forest. _Maybe this is not as hard as I expected.._ Melissa gleefully thought to herself and quietly got up from her spot. Giving her best not to make any noise, she slowly followed the distancing light from the other woman's wand, careful not to lose her from her sight. She’d have to come up with a plan on how to get Bertha to follow her, but thinking upon her previous ‘encounter’ with the witch, Melissa assumed that it wouldn’t be a lot of work.

-

A few minutes later the girl decided that they had built up enough distance to the small town. _Not that anyone would have cared anyway…_ Shaking her head to shoo away the unnecessary thought, she prepared for the imminent encounter with the other woman. Bertha Jorkins was still unaware of the fact that she had been followed, to engrossed in her map to notice anything else. Looking down on herself, Melissa determined that her new clothes looked too well-kept for someone that had supposedly gone lost in a forest. She snatched a handful of dirt and got herself filthy, working the mud onto her clothes and skin. Checking herself over again, Melissa tore a few holes into her pants and fiddled a bit with her hair, making it look even more unkempt than before.

Proudly nodding to herself, she deemed the moment fit for her revelation. She waited until she had fallen back even further, then picked up speed and started sprinting towards Bertha. Trying to look scared and confused she panted: “H-help.. HELP!”

-

Faking being out of breath wasn’t hard for the girl, she really was exhausted. Upon her screams, Bertha shot around, wand raised high, and scanned the forest for danger. As her gaze settled on Melissa, her eyes widened. Surely she didn’t make a good figure, standing there big-eyed, barefoot and with dirty clothes. “P-please, I - my father - We were wandering - he hurt himself.. Please help us.. I- I have been s-searching for days..” Her voice sounded weak and shaking, Melissa even found her eyes welling up with tears. “He’s w-waiting for me at a big tree, I- I couldn’t get him out..” After that, her voice completely broke and she started sobbing, tears streaming over her cheeks. Just letting the whole situation wash over her was enough to conjure real emotions..

Meanwhile, flabbergasted Bertha Jorkins could only stare at the girl. For once in her life, she was at a loss of words. Pity and concern washed over her as she eyed the poor condition of Melissa. Shuddering at the sad picture, she quickly thought about her options - If they were muggles, she would have to be careful with her magic, but then.. the girl had already seen her wand hadn’t she? - Still, it’d probably be best to just get more people involved and avoid using any more spells.. Bertha swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat; “D-Don’t worry, I’ll help you! You see, there is a town nearby and then we can get help together! Let me just check my map-” 

“NO!” Melissa screeched, realizing that she hadn’t considered that possibility; “M-My father - he needs help now!! He- He is not far from here, please - you have to come immediately! I- I can’t leave him there any longer.” More tears formed themselves in the corners of Melissa’s eyes as she begged the woman to come with her.

Hesitating at first, Bertha threw a last glance back over her shoulder to the direction she came from, and where she knew that safety was - But then she made her decision, determination now suddenly settling inside her:

“You-You’re right, it's best if we don’t waste any time! I’ll help your father, lead the way!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That played out well for Melissa, didn't it? Now she only needs to find her way back to Voldemort..  
> How do you think he'll react to her find?
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


	6. Chapter Six

Silence.

Not one word had been spoken since Bertha agreed to come with Melissa. Except for the girl’s fake sniffling and their crunching steps over the forest floor, you couldn’t hear even the faintest whisper exchanged between them. Probably they both were too concerned with more important things than small talk. The situation created an awkward base for the two, not having been able to take some time and converse about basic things or getting to know each other.

They were both equally occupied by their thoughts, but for entirely different reasons. Bertha was only thinking about in which ways the girl's father could have been hurt, already taking into consideration if it would make a good enough story to be worth telling everyone at work about. Melissa on the other side was busied by how she would be able to find the spot that Voldemort had hid inside again. Right now she was leading Bertha towards a random direction, only going after her intuition. Though the girl hoped that she looked confident in what she was doing, otherwise it would probably lead to some serious questioning by the other woman.

 _Nagini, where are you when I need you?_ \- She now tried calling out for the snake with her mind,  _I have found someone, but I don’t remember the way back.._

Melissa just hoped that the snake was somehow able to hear or feel her presence, because at some point she’d have to explain why they were taking so long to get to ‘a big tree, not far from here’. If Bertha changed her mind, the girl had no chance of overpowering her. Forgetful or not, there was no way that Melissa could win against a fully educated adult witch. She had to think of a plan B, but her current condition didn't do any good to her already poor improvisation skills.

But she should be so lucky - Melissa caught a glimpse of movement, something big had been causing the bushes in front of her to quiver. Trying to contain her excitement, the girl kept her face blank and pretended not to have noticed anything. Out of the corner of her eye, Melissa could observe the movement continuing. It kept itself only a few feet away from them, secretly leading the way, but still distant enough that they weren’t able to hear the rustling of dried leaves, being crushed underneath strong muscles slithering over them..

After a while the motion suddenly froze, leaving Melissa to nearly stumble with the unexpected stop. As the girl looked around, she soon became petrified with shock - they had reached their destination.

Unaware of that fact, Bertha bumped into Melissa. The woman hadn’t noticed that their journey came to a stop, but now that she realized, she started inspecting her environment. There were no signs of someone in distress, no signs of life at all. Now suspicious, the woman slowly turned to Melissa and tried to read her suddenly distorted facial expression. Pity - that’s it! Melissa’s face was filled with emotions, but pity triumphed over them all. Her eyes were filled with real sadness now, holding knowledge that Bertha couldn’t comprehend. She opened her mouth to ask the girl about it, but was interrupted by a sudden creak -

One of the trees next to her sprang to life, it’s bark ripping itself open. Before Bertha could react, her wand was blown out of her hand. Defenceless she could only watch with horror as the now fully opened tree revealed a gruesome figure.

Getting out of the way at the same time, Melissa threw herself after the wand. The girl quickly clutched it to her chest, then looked back at the confrontation with wide eyes. Bertha had been mercilessly cast against another tree with a forceful spell. Holding her thrumming head, the woman tried to crawl away, but Voldemort left her no chance. He swiftly sent another curse her way - fully knocking her out this time.

Visibly triumphant with his output, he levitated the body closer to his tree. Conjuring some ropes with his wand, Voldemort magically tied his victim to some thick roots, making sure that she wouldn’t be able to move. Now there was only one thing left for him - the girl.

.

.

.

Melissa could only sit there, the wand still clasped in her trembling hands. The fact that Voldemort could be cruel wasn’t news to her, but having to watch it with her own eyes as well as the fact of being responsible, left an eerie feeling behind.. He had bound the poor woman to a nearby tree, making her completely helpless to his plans. Shortly after that, his attention came to her. His eyes burned themselves inside her mind - She could detect from his posture (his wand ready to be turned towards her), that he was considering to just kill her right away. Voldemorts glance fell down to Melissa's hands, noticing the wand she had gathered for the first time.

Having quickly made a decision, Voldemort cleared his throat. “You fulfilled your task well, little girl.. Therefore you have proven yourself useful to me, no small feat.. Honoured will your actions towards my cause be, for they will aid me to regain my full strength. Making you worth more than half of my followers..” - The last sentence was mumbled more to himself then towards her. But overall, his declaration didn’t sound all too bad to Melissa. He spoke of her being honoured, that counted as something positive didn’t it?

After a short pause, he regained speech; “I will present you with a choice.. Your life can either end right here, quickly.. and spared any torture by my mercifulness - Or.. you could join me. I’m in dire need of a faithful servant, my child.. A task where someone with your means could flourish in. You would be rewarded with the highest of honours - a place by my side as I regain my true power...” His voice was slick with confidence, he knew the value of his offer, thinking it irresistible for someone in her situation.

-

As dizziness began to cloud her mind, Melissa tried to remember how to breathe. Voldemort had just finished proposing his offer towards her and now awaited her answer - she needed herself to focus and that right now. Slowly she regained her ability to move and filled her lungs with the cool air around her. _This is it isn’t it? The moment I have been waiting for? -_ Somehow, it still caught her by surprise. It just felt so surreal, seeing Voldemort's shrunken body inside that tree.. with those gleaming red eyes of him staring at her, as he talked to the girl like it was nothing..

Mentally, she had been preparing herself for this decision a while ago, but that still didn’t make it any easier to choose now.

_I just have to say it, I **know** what I want. Come on Melissa, stop fucking around! Or do you want to die?!_

Inwardly screaming at herself, Melissa forced herself to an answer. Patience sure wasn’t one of the things Voldemort was known for and if she wanted to decide for herself she had to hurry a bit. He probably wouldn’t hesitate with his decision if she took to long to make hers. Another shaky breath was taken by her..

.

.

.

“I-I’d like to join you..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voldemort will soon discover the true value of Bertha Jorkins..
> 
> For now, he'll have to focus on his new servant -  
> I think Melissa will do her job well, don't you? 
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


	7. Chapter Seven

…

_Well, this is awkward.._

Both of them were waiting for Bertha to wake up, surrounded by a rather tense silence. After Melissa declared her decision, not many words had been spoken between them. Voldemort thought it unnecessary, whereas Melissa just couldn’t think of anything to talk about. So they mutually came to the agreement to just not speak until their victim had woken up.

 _All right with me -_ _more time to experiment with this.._ Bertha’s wand was still in the girl's possession, she didn’t know if Voldemort had forgotten about it or if he just didn’t care. All the same, she was happy to have it. It gave her some means of defence, even if she still didn’t know how to properly use it. Melissa had been trying to cast some simpler spells, like Lumos or Wingardium Leviosa, but her efforts had been useless - Besides giving her a warm feeling in her hands, the wand didn’t do anything.

Perhaps she wasn’t the real master of it, after all, Voldemort had been to the one to take it from its former Mistress. Wands were sentient beings, Ollivander had been very clear on that in the books, so it was more than likely that it just didn’t accept the girl at the moment, wasn’t it?

That at least was what she hoped for to be the problem. Some other, darker thoughts had made themselves aware inside her head, trying to convince her that she wasn’t magical after all and that most of what happened to her had been lucky circumstances.. It just played into her other fears; fears of not being able to assist her new master properly, of being condemned useless and disposable.. She really, **really** did not want to die.. For now, she was just relieved not to be in the centre of his attention.

Melissa had been quietly sitting a few feet away from Lord Voldemort's tree, trying not to provoke him in any way. He was resting at the moment, the strike on Bertha had drained quite a bit of his energy. As soon as he felt better, he'd wake his victim and start with the interrogation. After having more than enough spare time to prepare for a case like this, Voldemort had his questions at the ready, though he could only hope that the woman wasn’t an imbecile. No -  a person with at least common knowledge of the wizarding world was required to tell him about the whereabouts of his followers, and if the girl couldn’t even find him someone like that.. Well, we’ll have to see.

.

.

.

Stirring -

Bertha had awoken, and she was scared senseless. Frantically looking around, she couldn’t recognise her environment. How did she end up here again? The woman squinted her eyes and tried to remember.. There was a girl, she had told her about some lost man -her father... and had then proceeded to lure her into the forest.. Memories of what happened afterwards rushed to Bertha’s mind, her already rapid heartbeat quickening with panic. Her limbs were bound together and had been tied to the roots of a large tree. She could feel that her body had cooled down to an unhealthy temperature; her limbs were numb from lying on the frigid ground. Remembering how she got knocked out, her head made a point in throbbing with pain.

Now panicking even more, Bertha tugged on the ropes and tried to free herself. But to no avail - as soon as she moved a curse hit her. Screams forced themselves out, burning her dry throat and nearly ripping apart her vocal cords. Never had she felt as much pain as now, her body shaking and convulsing with the sheer intensity of it. It was as if she got torn apart and then put together again, just to be burned alive afterwards. Bertha just wanted it to end, right here and right now. Anything could happen, as long as that pain would stop.. she didn’t care. Tears streamed over her distorted face, blurring her vision. Then - the torture stopped.. Bertha took a shaking breath, praying that it was over now.

-

Melissa had tried to look away, but her eyes were fixed on the scene in front of her; Bertha was writhing on the ground and Voldemort.. Voldemort had a facial expression of pure enjoyment. A mad grin split up his face, it had been too long since he had this feeling of power over someone else. He was savouring every twitching movement, every bit of Bertha’s pain that originated from his curses. But Voldemort had to restrain himself, or else the woman could easily break apart and Voldemort still needed her mind to function. Reluctant, he made his magic stop, giving Bertha a chance to breathe and collect herself.

-

As Bertha started to look around again, her vision still hazy, Melissa soon became the focal point of her attention. The girl was sitting against a tree, her eyes wide open and brimmed with tears of guilt. With the aftermath of the pain still clouding her mind, Bertha couldn’t bring herself to hate her. The girl looked as scared as she felt - the ragged clothes on Melissa's body were being clutched by a vice grip, you could see her knuckles shining through with the strength the girl used.

The woman’s focus on her didn’t last long though. Her gaze swiftly averted to the more prominent figure in front of her. Bertha’s already rapid pulse doubled with the sight of Lord Voldemort. Although most of his body was still hidden in a dark cloak, his eyes were visible and burning their way into hers. As soon as his gaze met hers, a splitting pain made itself aware in Bertha’s head - she could feel him searing through her memories and obliterating everything that dared to be in his way. What he searched for, she wasn’t sure. Everything she ever did flew through her head, as he looked for something useful to him. He absorbed all her knowledge about things like the Triwizard Tournament, saving it for later examination.

Not far into her mind, Voldemort stumbled upon a wall, which - after further inspection - he discovered to be originating from a powerful Memory Charm. Now suddenly curious, he didn’t hesitate in attacking the magical barricade. Bertha’s mind didn't have a chance of surviving its downfall, but since all the useful knowledge she held had already been obtained and secured by him, he was free to do as he wished.

Voldemort was astounded with the amount of work that had been put into the blockade - someone had been really keen to keep the woman from remembering whatever was hidden behind it. Using up a lot of his power, Voldemort sent spell after spell to try and break the barrier down - attempting to get a glimpse of what lies behind its strong walls. Piece by piece he tore her mind apart, to then reveal information beyond his wildest dreams..

Pictures of a faithful servant, locked away by his own father, popped up inside Bertha's head. Being kept there by the Imperius curse, the woman had discovered the man talking to a house elf, when she originally wanted to visit his father. Stupid and self-assured as she was, Bertha had confronted the older man about it, who didn’t hesitate in hexing her mind.

Euphoria made itself aware in Lord Voldemort as he discovered this jewel of information. Finally, fate was on his side. A loyal follower - more than ready to serve him - was just within his reach. Without batting an eye, he disposed of the woman. She already had been damaged beyond recognition through his spells and was of no more use to him. Lifting up a big amount of earth, he buried her deep inside the ground, not to be found by anyone in foreseeable time..

 

Voldemort’s new destination was now clear - the Barty Crouch household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye Bertha, hello Barty!  
> Hopefully, things will get better for Melissa, she already has been through enough don't you think?
> 
> By the way, feel free to correct any mistakes you find!  
> I always try to read the chapters multiple times before I post them, but somehow something always escapes my eyes.
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


	8. Chapter Eight

 

“We’ll need to leave soon.. Prepare yourself.”

-

_There is not much to prepare is there?_

Hiding her sassy thoughts, Melissa looked around and checked if there was anything she’d have to take with her. Besides Nagini, Bertha’s Wand and Voldemort himself, nothing in particular caught her eye. Her clothes were still dirty though, but without anything to clean them, she couldn’t do much about it.

Since Melissa still had some time to kill, she tried using another spell she had learned from the series. “Tergeo!” - hoping to remove a bit of the filth that had set on her clothing, she whispered the incantation while pointing the wand at her body. And behold - nothing happened. Not the tiniest speck of dust had disappeared, leaving her as dishevelled looking as before.

Huffing, she wrinkled her brows in concentration and tried again. And again. And again.. with no success. Frustration now settled within Melissa. Why had her magic worked before, even without a wand, but not now when she wanted it to? Laying her new wand on the ground, the girl tried to recreate the last situation in which she had used magic. Her hands brushed over her clothes, smoothing out some of the wrinkles on their way. Melissa tried to focus her mind on what she wanted to do, imagining the dirt just falling off them and how her sweater would look as good as new afterwards.

Her fingers started to work over specific spots that were soiled with dirt, rubbing them in an effort to loosen it a bit. But her efforts were in vain, nothing happened. The girl's clothing still looked like it was dragged through the mud, leaving her looking like a mess. As Melissa was about to stop, now completely devoid of hope, something happened. Out of the blue, her sweater started warming itself up - almost burning her skin with the sudden heat it created.

Frightened, Melissa sprung to her feet. If it catches fire, she wouldn’t have anything to put it out and she wasn’t too keen on burning herself. Just as she tried to pull it off, the heat stopped and got replaced by.. Vibration? Her sweater had started vibrating! The heat now rushed to her face; Blushing like hell, the girl tried to make it stop, scared that her master would notice. Her hands roamed over the clothing, in search of anything that would cease it from continuing.

What the girl didn’t realise, the sweater was cleaning itself. First, it loosened the dirt with heat, then it shook it off by quivering. Just like Melissa had wanted it to do, but not at all in the way she had imagined it - and also, Voldemort was already watching her.

As soon as the girl had put down the wand, his gaze had flown to her, observing what she was doing. Angered about her not taking his command serious, Voldemort was about to scold her for delaying their departure - just to then be a witness of something unbelievable - **_the girl could use magic without a wand_ **

-

Stunned, Voldemort observed the girl as she patted her still vibrating sweater, her face filled with embarrassment.

A thousand thoughts at once manifested themselves in Voldemort’s mind; The girl didn’t even realise what she was doing! Or what it could mean for him - a servant with magical skills like hers was not to underestimate. A witch of her age, that was able to use wandless magic as  **she** did, could be feared everywhere if she went under a bit of training.

It created so many different possibilities.. Forming her to his will wouldn’t be a problem, she didn’t have anyone - no friends, no family and no one to hold him back from making her his puppet. He would just have to properly teach her a curse or two and present her some with of his excessive knowledge. Then…she could become perfect.

After deliberating for a short time if it was the right moment to confront the girl about it, he made up his mind and cleared his throat;

“I see you’re in dire need of some practice, child..”

-

_Fuck, he noticed - why do I have to be so stupid?!_

Looking up through her eyelashes, Melissa tried to look as innocent as she could. Her sweater had stopped moving, now finished with cleaning itself from its previous state. Voldemort’s sneering statement was mortifying, but she knew that it was accurate. The girl didn’t have a clue what she was doing, and she’d never be able to learn how to control it on her own.

“Y-Yeah.. I don’t know what happened.”

Shifting her weight from side to side, Melissa averted her gaze. She always had been uncomfortable confessing her flaws.. it continuously sent her down a spiral of self-doubt and hatred. Every bad grade, every time she looked into a mirror - it always ended with Melissa suppressing her feelings and locking herself away - Never accepting help, never confessing how she felt, it was her only way to survive a day without breaking down.

Right now the girl just felt like a little child, caught red-handed in doing something stupid.. The idea of being that weak was enough to make her blood boil with disgust. Always had she felt the need to be superior to her siblings, striving to a higher level of education, and oh - successful she had been. Her grades were thriving or had at least been until she ended up here. Melissa did fear this dark side of her, but she couldn’t argue with its logic: If she wanted to survive she had to be strong, intelligent - had to be better and more powerful than everyone else - and her only way of accomplishing that right now, was in front of her..

“Maybe.. Could you please show me how to control it? The magic? My lord..”

-

The words dripped out of the girl's mouth with distaste, she wasn’t used to phrasing such a request. It nearly made him chuckle - too proud that she couldn’t even ask **him** for help, wasn’t an uncommon trait in his followers. They all sought glory in his ranks, but pride could have its downsides. He would make sure to teach her that lesson.. For now, it was important to show her some rudimentary skills, something she would be able to grasp and strengthen.

“Stand before me.. Good.. Now demonstrate to me what you had attempted to do..”

Goosebumps crawled over Melissa’s skin as she stood under his scrutinizing gaze. She raised her hands, barely restraining them from shaking, and reenacted her earlier situation. “I - I think I did something like this. I wanted to clean the dirt off my clothes.. Then they just started heating up and cleaning themselves..”

Her face was now scrunched up with concentration, she wanted to show him exactly what had happened - even if it meant rubbing her clothes like an idiot. This time her success came much faster, the clothes started to heat up almost immediately. She could practically taste the power flowing through her body and into her hands, where it proceeded to do what had been asked. Proud of her accomplishment she lifted her gaze to her master, who had observed everything very carefully.

Her powers seemed to originate from her hands, that much was clear to him. How they ended up there, however, was not.

“Of what else are you capable?” Voldemort had to be careful not to show his excitement. The girl couldn’t know that she was special, it would just lift up her self-esteem. No, he needed her on the ground, desperate and worthless - so that he and only he alone, could help her blossom and thus win her true loyalty.

-

_He doesn’t seem very impressed with me.._

Anxiety spread through Melissa like a wildfire, fogging up her mind and paralyzing her body..

 _What if he comes to the verdict that I’m not worth being taught anything?? I have to think of something, right now or else_ -

“Uh, I-I created fire not long ago, but I’m not sure how - wait -” She looked around in a hurry, searching for some rocks to demonstrate what she did before. The girl knelt down and picked up two random ones, in order to then smack them against each other. At first, nothing happened, so she became more aggressive with her movements, nearly pulverizing the rocks in her desperation. Melissa sure displayed an odd picture, keeling on the ground and whacking two stones against themselves like a maniac.

But it paid off - with the most powerful slam she could manage, a giant flame erupted from between her hands and rose upon to the sky. Shocked, she immediately froze her movements, causing the fire to shrink back into a little speck of fire - which then, very well-behaved, rested upon her palms.

_-_

_Woah, it’s… adorable!!_

Melissa marvelled at her creation, the tiny flame now flickering between her fingers. It didn’t hurt, she soon discovered that the fire’s temperature only rose to comfortable levels. Or at least it felt that way to her. Feeling curious, the girl lifted a leaf towards the flame. It did not hesitate in burning it to a crisp, leaving Melissa to watch the leaf crumble apart with fascination.

She didn’t notice how Voldemort stared at her with incredulity.

How - how could someone like her possess a gift like this? In all his years, he never had seen someone like her. And the question came from someone like _**him**_ , he who has discovered magic in new ways - greater ways than anyone had ever done before.

Him, Lord Voldemort, who had experimented with the most forbidden kind of dark magic and stretched its verges beyond anything that the wizarding kind had thought possible. Immortality was only one of the few things he achieved, besides being feared by anyone who hears his name.. He wasn’t even sure if the girl in front of him was human, the way she playfully created magic with her bare hands was unbelievable. And still - she knelt before him as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

It just was too perfect that she didn’t have a clue of what was going on, Melissa soon would become his prized possession - A crown jewel in his weapon chamber.. The girl was Voldemort guaranteed success against his enemies and he’d make sure to train her to obey to his will..

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before they could go to Barty, Melissa needed some more magical skills!  
> But Voldemort hadn't expected her already being so advanced, had he?
> 
>  
> 
> Constructive criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed!  
> I would love to hear what you think :)
> 
> ~Quasarflower


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